Shopping/Attractions in LA?

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help-me

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Hi, Ive done a search and gotton some great advice. Were of to LA in two weeks time. we want to go disneyland,universal studios, hollywood all the usual! One thing I cant seem to find much information on is the shopping! Ive looked up outlets and there is one at palm springs it looks very good has anyone been there? what's the shopping like? we are getting a hire car so will be able to travel around, ive heard its quite spread out?

From looking at reviews people say you would need two days in disneyland, is that true? we really only have 7days if anyone could offer any advice and information on best places to shop for clothes that would be great. also, is make up cheaper over there than here?
 
I would definitely spend two days in Disney - there are two separate parks which usually require one day each. Universal takes one or two days depending on the queue times - in two weeks it should still be reasonably quiet.

I can't help on the shopping front other than to say there's a small shopping plaza at Hollywood / Highland between the Kodak Theatre and the Renaissance hotel. The Beverly Centre is supposed to be quite good too. There's also a shopping street outside Universal called CityWalk although it's not for clothes, accessories, etc - it's got an odd selection of shops. Well worth a visit at night though, the atmosphere is great. I'm not sure if it still applies but at least one of the bars used to do a 'buy one, get two free' drinks offer on cocktails. (No, that's not a typo!) If your trip happens to coincide with a concert in either the Hollywood Bowl or the Universal/Gibson Amphitheatre, they're both fantastic venues.

In Hollywood, Ripleys Believe It Or Not and the Kodak theatre are worth a short visit and are both on the same intersection. Hollywood is still very run down so if you're going expecting stars and palm trees, you could be somewhat surprised.

The Queen Mary is permanently moored at Long Beach (south of LA) and is apparently worth visiting but I haven't been myself so I can't say.

If you have time to kill and just want to walk around and see the city, try to visit the Central Library, Union Station and the Bradbury building in downtown - they're all beautiful.
 
I don't think Disney needs 2 days, just don't go on a weekend and get there early and you'll be fine. Be aware that the second park tends to close earlier than the main one. Do go to the Muppets 3D in California Adventures, it's a great laugh.

Have you had a look at the rides at Universal? There isn't a whole lot there any more.

Outlets at Palm Springs are great (though not technically in Palm Springs). I've got Calvin Klein suits for $99, great deals on shoes, clothes etc. It has all the big US shops http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=6

Bring an extra case!
 
Go to Santa Monica for shopping - Third St Promenade [broken link removed] has all the major chain designer stores and there is also a large shopping mall called Santa Monica Place [broken link removed]
 
I have been to California a lot and I would second the Premium Outlets at Palm Springs .... its actually about 15 miles before Palm Springs if you are travelling from Los Angeles. Have been to many malls there and this one is exceptionally good value and is very big with a great variety of shops. You mentioned make and I know there is a shop there that sells top brands like, Bobby Brown, Mac, Clinique
 
Sorry meant to also add .... If you want to shop a lot you could stay over at the hotel there - its actually a small casino and they do very good deals www.morongocasino.com. Have done this myself, the rooms are really spacious and nice and food very cheap. Happy shopping !
 
I wouldnt go to universal, there isnt there much there anymore. Hardly any good rides, and a few studios. I would spend the day doing something else maybe to to santa monica (the beach is brilliant). We didnt really like Universal Studios at all, waste of a day.

g1g - Went to LA/Vegas last year at that time and thought it was great. Not too hot but still a lot hotter than Ireland, actually had a great time then so I would say go then.
 
Thank you all so much for all the information, greatly appreciated. am really looking forward to the trip now!!
 
If you like roller coasters, Six Flags is worth a trip.

@g1g - October is a good time. The weather will have cooled to a nice temp - esp in Vegas.
 
Would las vegas be worth the trip? were only going for a week so trying to cram as much in as we can! I looked it up and its a 4hr drive from LA?
 
If you do decide to go to Vegas (and that depends on your appetite for cramming as much as possible into a week) you might consider:
Spending a few days around Santa Monica/LA then driving to the outlet mall and staying overnight in Palm Springs because you could easily spend the whole day at the outlet mall. In Palm Springs I can recommend The Chase Hotel.
Then set off the following day for the drive to Vegas. You could drop off the car when you get to Vegas (you'd need to shop around for the best one-way rental - I found booking through Avis.ie the best a couple of years ago). And fly back to LA (Southwest Airways is a low cost option - they were reliable the handful of times I flew with them).
This is an option that might maximise your time if you don't fancy 2 X four hour drives during your week of holidays.
 
I wouldn't add Vegas into this trip. It really would be trying to do too much. Instead I would explore a bit more of California, maybe head from Disney down to San Diego? Or else go north a bit to the wine country around Santa Barbara. Vegas is 100% full on and I think it might be the straw that broke the camel's back on this trip. You'd need a holiday to get over it!
 
shesells said:
I wouldn't add Vegas into this trip. It really would be trying to do too much. Instead I would explore a bit more of California, maybe head from Disney down to San Diego? Or else go north a bit to the wine country around Santa Barbara. Vegas is 100% full on and I think it might be the straw that broke the camel's back on this trip. You'd need a holiday to get over it!
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i second this - just back today from 17 nights in Calf & Vegas and we didnt cover half of we intended...its too big. We had 4 nights in Vegas and could have done with another 4. If I was you I would drop Disney and go to Vegas....its entertainment 24-7 plus you have the good weather which you may not get in LA but should do in SD

I went to SD, San Fran, LA and Vegas and LA was my least favourite but I know others that love it. I would stay in Santa Monica as its really nice and a great base. I would recommend a couple of nights in San Diego as its also nice. I stayed at the solomar in the gaslamp quarter and it was an ideal base.

LA is good mix of everything, I presume you are hiring a car as you will need it to cover everything. BTW, Hollywood is a hole so you can limit that to a few hours as the best part is getting pictures of the sign on the hill. other than that there are a few spidermans and maryln monroes hanging around.

Re the shopping - third st in Santa monica has everything in walking distance so its the best place to do your shopping. Also check out westfield malls, they have up market malls all over america and have mostly the same shops in all of the malls so visiting one should cover what you dont get in the outlets - i think there is one near rodeo drive...you can always shop there :)

anyway - no matter what you decide to do you will have a ball over there but dont put too much on your plate...you can always go back
 
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